Shaft and/or bearing damage or failure in waterborne equipment causes economic losses. Historically, replacing marine shaft bearings is a very costly endeavor. A ship has to be dry docked, and the propeller shaft or rudder shaft has to be removed before the bearings can be replaced. The cost of repair can exceed 1 million US dollars on a large vessel.
In 2001, a cruise ship owned by Celebrity Cruises was sidelined due to a propeller shaft bearing failure. The cruise ship was equipped with pod propulsion systems. Two large bearings, approximately 2½ feet in diameter, carried the propeller shaft in each pod. The ship had to be dry-docked for two weeks to replace a bearing in the port side pod.
Because of the enormous repair costs and economic losses caused by a damaged bearing, features of the present invention can be seen variously to provide an adjustable and durable shaft bearing support assembly for waterborne equipment, such as a vessel, a pump or a turbine.